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The
Wisdom
of
THE KABBALAH
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O T H E R T I T L E S I N T H I S S E R I E S
The Wisdom of the Ancient Greeks, ISBN 1851682988
The Wisdom of the Arabs, ISBN 185168283X
The Wisdom of the Bah Faith, ISBN 1851682821
The Wisdom of Buddhism, ISBN 1851682260
The Wisdom of the Confucians, ISBN 1851682597
The Wisdom of Hinduism, ISBN 1851682279
The Wisdom of Jesus, ISBN 1851682252
The Wisdom of Judaism, ISBN 1851682287
The Wisdom of the Quran, ISBN 1851682244
The Wisdom of Sikhism, ISBN 1851682805
The Wisdom of Sufism, ISBN 1851682600
The Wisdom of the Tao, ISBN 1851682325
The Wisdom of Zen, ISBN 1851682813
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The
Wisdom
of
THE KABBALAH
Compiled by Dan Cohn-Sherbok
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THE WISDOM OF THE KABBALAH
Oneworld Publications
(Sales and Editorial)
185 Banbury Road
Oxford OX2 7AREngland
www.oneworld-publications.com
Oneworld 2002
All rights reserved,
Copyright under Berne ConventionA CIP record for this title is available
from the British Library
ISBN 185168297X
Cover and text design by Design Deluxe, Bath
Typeset by Cyclops Media Productions
Printed and bound by Graphicom Srl, Vicenza, Italy
NL08
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Introduction viiList of pictures xxii
GOD 23Infinite 24Creation 28Emanation 38Incomprehensibility 49
Mystery 53Divine Presence 56Providence 62
Angels 63
THE MYSTIC WAY 65Chariot 66Heavenly Ascent 76Gods Names 82
Alphabet 89
Unity 91Asceticism 99Cleaving to God 106Cosmic Repair 111Soul 114Study 121
C O N T E N T S
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Perfection 126Prayer 129Spiritual Master 134
Meditation 139Fear of God 147Love of God 150Glory 153Prophecy 160
Martyrdom 163
HUMAN BEINGS 165Good 166Evil 173
Commandments 178Humility 185Charity 189Joy 190Hypocrisy 192Sin 194
Poverty 198Torah 199
Wisdom 201
Glossary 204Chronological Table 205
Acknowledgements 208
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Jewish mysticism
In the worlds faiths the central aim of mysticism is to attainan apprehension of a union with the Divine. Within Judaism,the mystic is understood as one who seeks to gain anexperience of God this can be attained either throughpersonal experience or intense speculation. In the history ofthe faith, mysticism has undergone a complex evolution,beginning with the experiences of the patriarchs to thecosmological and theological explanations of later rabbiscontained in Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism). Yet, despite theirdifferences in approach, Jewish thinkers have been united intheir conviction that the spiritual quest is of paramountimportance. The purpose of the religous life, they maintain, isto know God and experience his divine presence.
The Hebrew experiences contain some of the most vividand arresting depictions of divine encounter. According totradition, prophecy culminated during the period of theSecond Temple (sixth century BCEfirst century CE). In theplace of charismatic figures claiming to have had a direct
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experience of God, Jewish writers engaged in speculationabout the nature of God and his relation to the world. Initiallysuch theorizing was contained in biblical books as well as innon-canonical literature. Later, Hellenistic thinkers, such asthe first-century philosopher Philo of Alexandria, formulatedtheories regarding Gods mediation in the cosmos. Drawing on
Neoplatonic ideas, these writers argued that God has contactwith the world through divine agencies.Within early rabbinic literature, Jewish sages also engaged
in theological speculation based on the biblical text. Thesedoctrines were frequently of a secret nature. In this regard,the first chapter of the book of Ezekiel played an important
role in early rabbinic mysticism. In this bibical text theMerkavah (divine chariot) is described in detail, and thisscriptural source served as the basis for rabbinic speculationabout the nature of the Deity. It was the aim of the mystic tob e a Merkavah rider so that he would be able to penetratethe heavenly mysteries. Within this contemplative system, therabbis believed that the pious could free themselves from thefetters of bodily existence and enter paradise.
A further dimension of this theory was that certain piousindividuals could temporarily ascend into the unseen realmand, having learnt the deepest secrets, return to earth. Thesemystics were able to attain a state of ectasy, to behold visions
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and hear voices. As students of the Merkavah they were theones able to attain the highest degree of spiritual insight. Adescription of the experiences of these Merkavah mystics iscontained in Hekhalot (heavenly hall) literature from theseventh to the eleventh century CE. In order to make theirheavenly ascent, these mystics followed strict ascetic
disciplines, including fasting, ablution and the invocation ofGods name. After reaching a state of ecstasy, the mystic wasable to enter the seven heavenly halls and attain a vision ofthe divine chariot.
Closely associated with this form of speculation weremystical theories about creation. Within rabbinic sources the
rabbis discussed the hidden meaning of the Genesis narrative.The most important early treatise, possibly from the secondcentury CE, that describes the process of creation, is the SeferYetsirah (Book of Creation). According to this cosmologicaltext, God created the universe by thirty-two mysterious paths,consisting of twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabettogether with ten sefirot (divine emanations).
This mysterious doctrine was supplemented by a theory ofdivine emanation through the ten sefirot. The first of the
sefirot is the spirit of the living God; air is the second and isderived from the first on it are hewn the twenty-two letters.The third of the sefirot is the water that comes from the air.
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The fourth is the fire that comes from water, through whichGod made the heavenly wheels, the seraphim and theministering angels. The remaining six sefirot are the sixdimensions of space north, south, east, west, height anddepth.
These mystical texts of early rabbinic Judaism were studied
by Jewish settlers in the Rhineland from approximately theninth century. During the twelfth and thirteenth centuriesthese authorities the Hasidei Ashkenaz (pious men ofGermany) delved into Hekhalot (heavenly hall) literatureand the Sefer Yetsirah, as well as philosophical works. In theirwritings these mystics were preoccupied with the mystery ofdivine unity. The aim of German mysticism was to attain avision of Gods glory through the cultivation of the life of
hasiduth (pietism), which embraced devotion, saintliness andcontemplation.
Parallel with this development in Germany, Jewish mysticsin southern France were engaged in mystical speculationabout the nature of God, the soul, the existence of evil and thereligious life. In twelfth-century Provence the Bahir (The Bookof Light) reinterpreted the concept of the sefirot as depictedin the Sefer Yetsirah. According to the Bahir, the sefirot wereconceived of as vessels, crowns or words that constitutethe structure of the divine realm. Basing themselves on this
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anonymous work, various Jewish sages of Provence engaged insimilar mystical reflection. Thus Isaac the Blind conceived ofthe sefirot as emanations from a hidden dimension of theGodhead.
In Gerona the traditions from Isaac the Blind were broadlydisseminated. One of the most important of these Geronese
kabbalists was Azriel of Gerona, who replaced divine thoughtwith divine will as the first emanation of the Ayn Sof(Infinite). The most famous figure of this circle was Moses benNahman, known as Nahmanides, who helped this mysticalschool gain general acceptance. During the time that theseGeronese mystics were propounding their kabbalistic theories,different mystical schools developed in other parts of Spain.Influenced by the Hasidei Ashkenaz and the Sufi traditions ofIsalm, Abraham Abulafia wrote meditative texts on thetechnique of combining the letters of the alphabet as a meansof realizing human aspirations towards prophecy.
Another Spanish kabbalist, Isaac ibn Latif, also attemptedto elaborate ideas found in Moses Maimonides Guide for the
Perplexed. For ibn Latif, the primeval will was the source ofall emanation. Adopting Neoplatonic conceptions, he arguedthat from the first created thing emanated all the other stages,referred to symbolically as light, fire, ether and water.
According to ibn Latif, kabbalah is superior to philosophy.
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Other Spanish kabbalists were more attracted to gnostic ideas.Isaac ha-Kohen, for example, elaborated the theory of ademonic emanation whose ten spheres were counterparts ofthe holy sefirot. The mingling of such gnostic teaching withthe kabbalah of Gerona resulted in the publication of themajor mystical work of Spanish Jewry, the Zohar (The Book
of Splendour), composed by the thirteenth-century writerMoses ben Shem Tov de Leon in Guadalajara although theauthor placed the work in the setting of the second centuryCE, focusing on Rabbi Simeon bar Yochai.
According to these various kabbalistic systems, God inhimself lies beyond any speculative comprehension. Toexpress the unknowable aspect of the Divine, early kabbalistsof Provence and Spain referred to the divine Infinite as Ayn
Sof. The Ayn Sof does not reveal itself; it is beyond all thoughtand at times is identified with the Aristotelian First Cause. Inkabbalistic teaching, creation is bound up with themanifestation of the hidden God and his outward movement.
According to the Zohar, the sefirot emanate from the hiddendepths of the Godhead like a flame.
For the kabbalists the existence of evil was a central issue.According to one tradition evil has no objective reality.Another view, as propounded in the Bahir, depicts the sefirahof power as an attribute whose name is evil. On the basis of
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such a teaching Isaac the Blind concluded that there must bea positive root of evil and death. In the Zohar, there is adetailed hierarchical structure of this emanation, in which the
Sitra Ahra (the other side) is depicted as having ten sefirot ofits own. The evil in the universe, the Zohar explains, has itsorigins in the leftovers of worlds that were destroyed.
According to the Zohar, evil is like the bark of a tree ofemanation; it is a husk or shell in which lower dimensions ofexisting things are encased.
For mystics the doctrine of a hidden God who brings aboutcreation had important implications for the kabbalistic view ofhumankind. The biblical idea that human beings were createdin the image of God implies that they are modelled on the
sefirot, and are microcosms reflecting the nature of thecosmos. As far as souls are concerned, they are stored in oneof the palaces in the sphere ofBeriyah (Creation) where theyare taught divine secrets. But when they enter the world of
Asiyah (making), such knowledge disappears. According tosome kabbalists, the body that houses the soul is the work ofthe Sitra Ahra; others contend that corporeality is neitherintrinsically good nor bad. On the other hand, there werethose who saw bodily processes as reflecting heavenlyprocesses. In such a context the sexual union was regarded asmetaphysically significant.
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The mystic deeds of tikkun (repair) sustain the world,activate nature to praise God, and bring about the coupling ofthe tenth and the sixth sefirot. Such repair is accomplished bykeeping the commandments, which are conceived of as vesselsfor establishing contact with the Godhead and for ensuringdivine mercy. Such a religious life provided the kabbalist witha means of integrating into the divine hierarchy of creation the kabbalah was able to guide the soul back to its source inthe Infinite. The supreme rank attainable by the soul at theend of its sojourn is devekut, the mystical cleaving to God.
In ascending the higher worlds, the path of prayer parallelsthe observance of Gods commandments. Yet unlike thecommandments, prayer is independent of action and canbecome a process of meditation. Mystical prayer accompaniedby meditative intentions, focusing on each prayers kabbalisticcontent, is a feature of the various systems of kabbalah. Forthe kabbalists, prayer was seen as the ascent of the individualinto the higher realms, where the soul could integrate with thehigher spheres.
By using the traditional liturgy in a symbolic fashion,prayer repeats the hidden processes of the cosmos. At thetime of prayer, the hierarchy of the upper realms is revealedas one of the names of God. Such disclosure is whatconstitutes the mystical activity of the individual in prayer, as
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the kabbalist concentrates on the name that belongs to thedomain through which his prayer is passing. The intentioninvolved in mystic prayer is seen as a necessary element inthe mystery of heavenly unification that brought the Divinedown to the lowest realm and tied the sefirot to each otherand the Ayn Sof.
In addition to mystical meditation, the kabbalists make useof the letters of the alphabet and of the names of God for thepurposes of meditative training. By engaging in thecombination of letters and names, the mystic is able to emptyhis mind so as to concentrate on divine matters. Throughsuch experiences the kabbalists believed they could attemptto conduct the soul to a state of the highest rapture in whichdivine reality was disclosed.
In the early modern period Safed in Israel had become amajor centre of Jewish religious life. In this town mystics alsoparticipated in various ascetic practices such as fasting, publicconfessions of sins, wearing sackcloth and ashes, and prayingat the graves of venerable sages. In this centre of kabbalisticactivity one of the greatest mystics of Safed, Moses Cordovero,collected, organized and interpreted the teachings of earliermystic authors. Later in the sixteenth century kabbalisticspeculation was transformed by the greatest mystic of Safed,Isaac Luria. By the beginning of the seventeenth century
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Lurianic mysticism had made a major impact on SephardicJewry, and messianic expectations had also become a centralfeature of Jewish life. In this milieu the arrival of aself-proclaimed messianic king, Shabbetai Zevi, brought abouta transformation of Jewish life and thought.
By the middle of the eighteenth century the Jewishcommunity had suffered numerous waves of persecution andwas deeply dispirited by the conversion of Shabbetai Zevi. Inthis enviroment the Hasidic movement grounded inkabbalah sought to revitalize Jewish life. In the medievalperiod the Hasidei Ashkenaz attempted to achieve perfectionthrough various mystical activities. This tradition was carriedon by Lurianic kabbalists who engaged in various forms ofself-mortification. In opposition to such ascetic practices, theBaal Shem Tov, the founder of Hasidism, and his followersemphasized the omnipresence of God rather than theshattering of the vessels and the imprisonment of divinesparks by the powers of evil. For Hasidic Judaism there is noplace where God is absent. The doctrine of divine contractionwas interpreted by Hasidic sages as only an apparentwithdrawal of the divine presence. Divine light, they believed,is everywhere.
For some Hasidim, devekut (cleaving to God) in prayer wasunderstood as the annihilation of selfhood and the ascent of
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the soul to the divine light. In this context, joy, humility,gratitude and spontaneity are seen as essential features ofHasidic worship. The central obstacles to concentration inprayer are distracting thoughts. For the Hasidim, it is possibleto achieve devekut in daily activities including drinking,business affairs and sex. Such ordinary acts become religiousif in performing them one cleaves to God, and devekut is thusattainable by all Jews. Unlike the earlier mystical tradition,Hasidism provided a means by which ordinary Jews couldreach a state of spiritual ecstasy.
Another central feature of this new movement was theinstitution of the zaddik (holy person) or rebbe (spiritualleader), which gave expression to a widespreaddisillusionment with rabbinic leadership. According toHasidism, the zaddikim were spiritually superior individualswho had attained the highest level ofdevekut. The goal of the
zaddik was to elevate the souls of his flock to the divine light.As an authoritarian figure, the zaddik was seen by hisfollowers as possessing miraculous powers to ascend to the
divine realm. From its inception at the end of the eighteenthcentury to the present day, this movement has kept alive themystical traditions of the Jewish past.
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Wheel of letters, from Pardes Rimmonim by 41Moses Cordovero, 1592
Model depicting the Divine word of the Sefirot, from Pardes 47Rimmonim (see above)
Cherubim hovering over the ark of the tabernacle, 55from thirteenth century French manuscript
The Tree of Life 61The four letter Name of God (Tetragrammaton), from fourteenth 68
century Bible in Sefardi hand
The Face of the Long One, detail of Lurianic scheme from the 72nineteenth century
Amulet, from Shaar ha-Yihud by Hayyim Vital, sixteenth century 77
Detail from nineteenth century Lurianic scroll 72Circles of instruction used in meditation, from maunscript of 85
writings by Abraham Abulafia
Kabbalistic diagram, from the Book of Formation, Sefer Yezirah, 90Babylonia, sixth century
Hands inscribed with Kabbalistic symbols, from Shefa Tal, by 95Shabbetai Horowitz, 1712
Amulet to protect a mother during childbirth, from 110Book of Raziel, 1701
Rabbi Akiba, woodcut from Haggadah, sixteenth century 127
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G O D
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IF ONE should ask, Why should I believe in Ayn Sof? youshould tell him: You ought to know that everything whichis visible or perceptible to the heart is finite. Every limited
thing has an end and every finite thing is not perfect.Therefore, there must be that which is without limit andwhich is called Ayn Sof. It is absolute perfection in completeunity which does not change. If it is without limit, there isnothing beside it. Since it is sublime, it is the root of all thingsvisible and unseen. Since it is hidden, it is the basis of faithand of disbelief. The masters of speculation admit that we areunable to grasp it except by saying what it is not.
AZRIEL OF GERONA
THE DENIAL of corporeality means that God is not limitedand is neither a body nor a force in a body. The principleof this negation is that God is not limited by either place
or time. For He is, was and always will be.
Sefer Maarekhet ha-Elohut
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AT THE very beginning the king made engravings in thesupernal purity. A spark of blackness emerged in thesealed within the sealed, from the mystery of Ayn Sof, a
mist within matter, implanted in a ring, no white, no black, nored, no yellow, no colour at all.
Zohar
RABBI ELEAZAR asked Rabbi Simeon: We know that thewhole-offering is connected to the Holy of Holies so thatit may be illumined. To what heights does the
attachment of the will of the priests, the Levites and Israelextend? He said, We have already taught that it extends to
Ayn Sof [Infinite] since all attachment, unification andcompletion is to be secreted in that secret which is notperceived or known, and which contains the will of all wills.
Ayn Sof cannot be known, it does not produce end orbeginning like the primal ayin [nothing], which does bringforth beginning and end there are no end, no wills, no
lights, no luminaries in Ayn Sof.
Zohar
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WOE TO one who compares Ayn Softo any of the human characteristicsor even to one of His own attributes,all the more so to one who compares Him to humans
who are born and die.
Ayn Sof may be characterized according to Hisgovernance
upon a particular attributeor even upon all the created beings.
When He disappearsabove and beyond that attribute,He cannot be said to have that attribute,
characteristic or form.
Zohar
Infinite 27
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IN THE beginning God created. In the beginning aprimeval mystery; created a concealed mystery fromwhich all extends; God a mystery that supports all
below.
Zohar
AND GOD said: Let there be light. And there was light(Gen. 1:3). From here we can begin to find hiddenmysteries, how the world was created in detail.
Zohar
LET YOUR ears hear what your mouth speaks. Have I not justtold you that there is that which is called the cause ofcauses, and this is not the same as that which is called
cause above all causes, for cause above all causes has no
companion from which it can take advice, for it is single,preceding all, with no partner, and it is for this reason that itsays, See now that I, even I, am He, and there is no god with me.
Zohar
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You created the heavens and the earth,the sun and the moon,the stars and constellations.
Tikkunei Zohar
THREE MOTHERS: aleph, mem, shin. A great secret,
wonderful and hidden. He seals them with six rings.From them go out: air, fire and water. From them the
fathers are born. From the fathers, the progeny.Three mothers: aleph, mem, shin. He engraved them. He
hewed them. He combined them. He weighed them. He setthem at opposites. He formed through them: three mothers
aleph, mem, shin in the universe; three mothers aleph,mem and shin in the year; three mothers aleph, mem andshin in the body of male and female.
Three mothers: aleph, mem, shin. The product of fire isheaven; the product of air is air; the product of water is earth.Fire is above; water is below; air tips the balance between
them. From them, the fathers were generated, and from them,everything is created.
Sefer Yetsirah
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TWELVE SIMPLE letters: hey, vav, zayin, chet, tet, yod,
lamed, nun, samech, ayin, tsade, kof. He engraved theirfoundations, He hewed them out, He combined them, He
weighed them, and He set them at opposites, and He formedthrough them: twelve constellations in the universe, twelvemonths in the year, twelve organs in the body of male andfemale.
Sefer Yetsirah
ACERTAIN KING dwelt within the inner chamber of hispalace. There were thirty-two chambers in all and eachchamber had its own path.
Now is it proper for everyone to come to the kings chamberby simply following all the paths? Of course not.
And is it proper for the king to openly reveal his pearls,brocades and hidden, precious treasures? Of course not.
So what did the king do? He appointed his daughter and setin her and in her garments all the different pathways. Another
who wishes to enter the palace should not look at her.
Pesikta de-Rav Kahana
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THE LORD, the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, the living
God and the King of the Universe, the Almighty, Mercifuland Gracious, the Exalted, who abides in eternity, whose
name is august and holy, shaped and created the universewith thirty-two wondrous paths of wisdom, comprising threecategories: numbers, letters and words.
Ten non-corporeal sefirot (divine emanations) and
twenty-two basic letters, three mother letters, seven doubleletters, and twelve simple letters.
Ten non-corporeal sefirot, corresponding to the ten fingers,five paralleling five, with the covenant of unity in the centre,as indicated by the term for word which is formed by tongueand mouth, and which also defines the organ that bears the
covenant of circumcision.Ten non-corporeal sefirot, ten and not nine, ten and not
eleven; understand with wisdom, and discern withunderstanding; analyse them and probe them, clarify thematter and establish the Creator on His throne.
Ten non-corporeal sefirot. They comprise ten dimensions;
the dimension of beginning, the dimension of end, thedimension of good, the dimension of evil, the dimension ofheight, the dimension of depth, the dimension of east, thedimension of west, the dimension of north, the dimension of
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south. One Lord alone, God, the faithful King, rules over all
from His holy abode for ever and ever.Ten non-corporeal sefirot. Their appearance is like a flash
of lightning and they have no end. His word is in them,surging forth and receding. They hasten like a whirlwind to dohis bidding and they bow down before His throne.
Ten non-corporeal sefirot. Their end is merged with their
beginning and their beginning is merged with their end, as aflame is joined to the burning coal. For the Lord is one andthere is none like him, and what can you count before One.
Ten non-corporeal sefirot. Curb your mouth from speakingof them and your heart from speculating about them. And ifyour mouth ventures to speak and your heart to speculate,
turn back. For this reason it is written And the livingcreatures surged forward and returned (Ezek. 1:14).
Sefer Yetsirah
W
HY WAS Aarons blessing pronounced with the raising ofthe hands? He could have blessed them bypronouncing the blessing. The reason is that there are
ten fingers in the hands, an allusion to the ten sefirot [divineemanations] with which heaven and earth were finished.
Bahir
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AFTER THIS contraction, there was only the vacuum, ether
and empty space in the midst of the light of Ayn Sof.There was now place for the emanations, creations,
formations and actions.
HAYYIM VITAL
HOKHMAH [WISDOM] spread out and brought forth Binah[understanding].
They were found to be male and female.Hokhmah, the father, andBinah, the mother.Then, these two united and
Lighted up each other.The mother conceived and gave birth to a son.Through the birth of a son,The mother and father found perfection.This led to the completion of everything,the inclusion of everything
father, mother, son and daughter.
Zohar
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WHEN THE light becomes too strong, the receptacle
disintegrates due to its limited capacity to contain thepowerful light.
HAYYIM VITAL
FIRST OF all, the expansion burst through and produced a
single hidden point from its own mystery.
Zohar
O
NE WHO wishes to attain from God what he desires mustcontemplate the ten sefirot.
JOSEPH GIKATILLA
Emanation 47
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M Y S T E R Y
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HAPPY IS the portion of whoever can penetrate into themysteries of his master and become absorbed into Him.
Zohar
IF YOU wish to enter into this mystery, concentrate on allthat we have said. Contemplate the rooms that we havediscussed, together with their lights, colours and letter
combinations. Meditate on this for a while, either briefly or atlength. Begin by placing your head between your knees.
JOSEPH TZAYACH
WHEN THE fingers are spread out on high a man honoursGod with numerous supernal mysteries. Hedemonstrates the mystery of the ten sefirot [divine
emanations] as they are united and he blesses the Holy Name
as it should be blessed.
ALEXANDER SUSSKIND
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Z
OHAR [BRIGHTNESS], sealed among the sealed things, made
contact with its air, which touched, but did not touch,the point.
Zohar
AND GOD said: Let the waters be gathered (Gen. 1:9) by
means of a line, so that it should be by a straight path,for all emerged, while still hidden, from the mystery of
the primal point until it reached and entered the supernalpalace. From there it went forth in a straight line to theremaining levels, until it came to one place, which broughtall together in the totality of male and female.
Zohar
WHEN THE most secret of secrets sought to be revealed,He made, first of all, a single point, and this becamethought. He made all the designs there; He did all the
engravings there, and He engraved within the hidden holyluminary an engraving of a hidden design.
Zohar
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SWEET MELODIES will I sing to you
And hymns compose,For my soul yearns for your presenceTo know the mystery of your being.
Hymn of Glory
IT IS He that binds all the chariots of the angels, and bindsthem together; and He supports the upper and the lowerworlds. And were He to remove himself from them they
would have neither sustenance, knowledge or life.
Zohar
KNOW AND believe that there is a method involving themystical purification of the limbs, through which it ispossible for a human being to attach himself to the
Divine Presence, even though it is a consuming fire.
JOSEPH GIKATILLA
Divine Presence
57
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T
HOUGH GODS presence in the commandments is not
visible to the naked eye, they link us with ties of love tothe Creator.
MENAHEM MENDEL OF CHERNOBYL
T
HIS IS how one must condition himself to looking at
things: if he suddenly found himself gazing at a beautifulwoman, let him say to himself: How did she become this
way? If she were dead she would not have this face, she wouldin fact be repellent. How then does she come to look this way?Obviously it comes to her because of a divine potency diffusedin her which endows her face with colour and beauty. It thus
turns out that the source of beauty is in the power of God.
BAAL SHEM TOV
W
HEN ONE needs to discuss worldly matters he mustrealize that he is descending from the divine realm.
MENAHEM MENDEL OF VITEBSK
58
God
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H
E ENCOMPASSES all worlds, and none but He surrounds
them on every side, above and below and in the fourcorners of the globe, and none may go beyond His
domain. He fills all worlds, and no other fills them. He giveslife to them, and there is no other god above Him to give Himlife.
Zohar
HE BINDS and joins the species with one another, aboveand below, and there is no juncture of the fourelements except by the Holy One, blessed be He,
existing among them.
Zohar
THERE IS no place where He is not, above without end, andbelow without limit, and on every side there is no Godbut He.
Zohar
Divine Presence
59
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W
OE TO the man who tries to hide himself from the Holy
One, blessed be He, of whom it is written Do I not fillheaven and earth, says the Lord (Jer. 23:24).
Zohar
I
N ALL places, and especially in the synagogue where the
Shekhinah [Divine Presence] is in front of you, sit in Hispresence in dread and set your heart to give thanks unto
Him.
ELEAZAR BEN JUDAH OF WORMS
IN EVERY movement God is present since it is impossible tomake any move or utter a word without the might of God.
DOV BAER OF MEZHIRICH
A
PERSON MUST not pray for his own concerns; rather he is
to pray that the Shekhinah [Divine Presence] beredeemed from exile.
DOV BAER OF MEZHIRICH
60
God
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P R O V I D E N C E
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WHATEVER HAPPENS, let him consider that it derives fromGod.
BAAL SHEM TOV
WE HAVE taught that this world is like a pattern of theworld above, and, as for the world above, everythingthat happens in this world so it is above.
Zohar
TO THE fish in the sea, whose eyes have no lids, whoseeyes have no brows, for they do not sleep and do notneed a protection for the eye. How much more is this
true of the Most Ancient One. He needs no protection,especially since He supervises everything, nourisheseverything, and does not sleep.
Zohar
62
A N G E L S
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FOR GOD, not wishing to come down to the external senses,sends His own words [logoi] or angels in order to giveassistance to those who love virtue. They attend like
physicians to the diseases of the soul, apply themselves toheal them, offer sacred recommendations like sacred laws,
and invite humans to practise the duties inculcated by them.Like the trainers and wrestlers, they implant in their pupilsstrength and power and irresistible vigour.
PHILO OF ALEXANDRIA
THE ANGEL Zagzagael, the prince of the inner court, toldme: My friend, sit in my lap, and I will tell you what willhappen to the Jewish people. I sat in his lap, and he
looked at me and wept, and the tears dropped from his eyesand fell on my face.
Hekhalot Rabbati
63
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T
HE WORLD above and the world below are perfectly
balanced: Israel below, the angels above. Of the angels itis written: He makes his angels spirits (Psalm 104:4).
But when they descend, they put on the garment of this world.If they did not put on a garment befitting this world theycould not endure in this world and the world could not endurethem.
Zohar
BOTH GOOD and evil angels are created from a personsspeech.
HAYYIM VITAL
64
God
T H E M Y S T I C W A Y
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T H E M Y S T I C W A Y
C H A R I O T
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IT IS said of Rabbi Johanan ben Zakkai that he was notignorant of anything. He knew Mishnah, Talmud, law,exposition, grammatical analysis of the Torah, analysis of
the scribes, logical inference, similar wordings, astronomicalcalculations, gematriot [mystical calculations], incantations
for angels, incantations for demons, incantations to palmtrees, proverbs of washerwomen, proverbs of foxes, a GreatThing and a Small Thing. A Great Thing is the workings ofthe Merkavah [the Divine Chariot].
Talmud
ALL THOSE who go up to the Merkavah [Divine Chariot]are not harmed even though they see this entire set ofpalaces. And they descend in peace, returning and
standing up to testify to the awesome, terrifying sight theyhave seen, the like of which cannot be seen in any of the
palaces of flesh and blood.
Pirkei Hekhalot
66
HAT IS it lik t k th t f th M k h
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W
HAT IS it like to know the secret of the Merkavah
[Divine Chariot]? It is like having a ladder in oneshouse and being able to go up and down at will.
Pirkei Hekhalot
S
AID R. REHUMEI: What is the meaning of the verse (Prov.
6:23): The way of life is the reproof of instruction? Thisteaches us that one who studies the work of creation andthe work of the Chariot cannot but stumble, as it is written(Isa. 3:6): And this stumbling is under your hand. These arematters that one cannot grasp unless one stumbles over them,and the Torah calls it the reproof of instruction, but in truth
one thereby attains the path of life.
Bahir
WHOEVER TURNS his heart away from the affairs of theworld and concerns himself with the work of the
Merkavah [Divine Chariot], it is regarded by the HolyOne, praised be He, as though he had prayed all day.
Bahir
Chariot 67
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LIEZER BEN Arach began his discourse on the mysteries of
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E
LIEZER BEN Arach began his discourse on the mysteries of
the Merkavah [Divine Chariot]. No sooner had hebegun, than fire came down from heaven and
encompassed all the trees of the field which, with one accord,burst into song.
Talmud
IT IS forbidden to explain the first chapters of Genesis to twopersons, but it is only to be explained to one by himself. Itis forbidden to explain the Merkavah [Divine Chariot]
even to one by himself unless he be a sage and of an originalturn of mind.
Mishnah
ACERTAIN youth was once explaining the Hashmal (Ezek.1:27) when fire came forth and consumed him. Whenthe question is asked, Why was this? the answer is: His
time had not yet come.
Talmud
Chariot 69
ABBI JOHANAN ben Zakkai was once riding on a donkey
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R
ABBI JOHANAN ben Zakkai was once riding on a donkey,
and Rabbi Eliezer ben Arach was on a donkey behindhim. The latter rabbi said to the former, O master!
Teach me a chapter of the Merkavah [Divine Chariot]mysteries. No! replied the master. Have I not alreadyinformed you that the Merkavah may not be taught to anyone man by himself unless he be a sage and of an original turn
of mind? Very well, then! replied Eliezer ben Arach. Willyou give me leave to tell you a thing which you have taughtme? Yes! replied Johanan ben Zakkai. Say it! The masterdismounted from his donkey, wrapped himself up in agarment, and sat upon a stone beneath an olive tree. Why, Omaster, have you dismounted from your donkey? asked the
disciple. Is it possible, he replied, that I will ride upon mydonkey at the moment when you are expounding themysteries of the Merkavah, and the Shekhinah [DivinePresence] is with us, and the ministering angels areaccompanying us? Rabbi Eliezer ben Arach opened hisdiscourse on the mysteries of the Merkavah, and no sooner
had he begun than fire came down from heaven andencompassed all the trees of the field, which, with one accord,burst into song.
Talmud
70 The Mystic Way
FTER HE had created the form of the Heavenly Man, He
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A
FTER HE had created the form of the Heavenly Man, He
used him as a Merkavah [Divine Chariot] on which todescend.
Zohar
P
ERMISSION WAS granted to the proper, the meek, the
humble, the wise, the upright, the pious, the chosen, theascetics, the righteous, and the perfected ones todescend and ascend in the Merkavah [Divine Chariot].
Hekhalot Rabbati
ONE DARE not descend to the Merkavah [Divine Chariot]unless he has two qualifications. First, he must haveread and reviewed the Torah, Prophets and Writings,
and have mastered the Mishnah, the Law, the Aggadah[rabbinic scriptural commentary], as well as the deepermeaning of Law regarding what is permitted and what is
forbidden. Second, he must be an individual who keeps theentire Torah, and heeds all of its prohibitions, decrees,judgements and laws, taught to Moses on Sinai.
Hekhalot Rabbati
Chariot 71
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HE THRONGS of our companions stood, for they saw rivers
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T
p , y
of fire and brilliant flames separating them from us.Rabbi Nehunya ben Hakkanah sat and explainedeverything about the Merkavah [Divine Chariot]. Hedescribed its descent and ascent; how one who descends mustdescend, and how one who ascends must ascend.
Hekhalot Rabbati
THE GUARDS of the sixth palace make a practice ofattacking those who descend and do not descend intothe Merkavah [Divine Chariot] without authority. They
throng around such individuals, striking them and burning
them. They then send others in their places who do the same.They have no compunction, nor do they ever stop to ask,Why are we burning them? What enjoyment do we have whenwe assail those individuals who descend to the Merkavah anddo not descend without authority? This is the trait of theguardians at the door of the sixth chamber.
Hekhalot Rabbati
Chariot 73
UR RABBIS taught that four entered an orchard. These
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Oare they: Ben Azzai, Ben Zoma, Aher and Akiva. Akivasaid to them, When you reach the stones of pure
marble, do not say, Water, water! For it is said, He whospeaks falsehood shall not be established before my eyes.Ben Azzai gazed and died. Concerning him Scripture says,Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
Ben Zoma gazed and was stricken. Concerning him Scripturesays, Have you found honey? Eat as much as is sufficient foryou, lest you be filled therewith, and vomit it. Aher cut downthe shoots. Akiva departed in peace.
Talmud
RABBI ISAAC said, It is a 500-year journey from the earthto the firmament, as it is said, That your days may bemultiplied, and the days of your chidren as the days
of the heaven upon the earth (Deut. 11:21). The thickness ofthe firmament is a 500-year journey. The firmament containsonly the sun, moon and stars but there is one Merkavah[Divine Chariot] therein.
The Vision of Ezekiel
74 The Mystic Way
S SOON as the person entreats to descend to the
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AMerkavah [Divine Chariot], Anpiel, the Prince, opensthe doors of the seventh palace and that individual
enters and stands on the threshold of the gate of the seventhpalace. The holy hayyot [living creatures] lift him up. Fivehundred and twelve eyes, and each and every eye of the eyesof the holy hayyot is hollow like the holes in a sieve woven of
branches. These eyes appear like lightning, and they dart toand fro. In addition, there are the eyes of the cherubim ofmight and the wheels of the Shekhinah [Divine Presence],which are like torches of light and flames of burning coals.This person then trembles, shakes, moves to and fro, panics,is terrified, faints and collapses backwards.
Hekhalot Rabbatai
Chariot 75
H E A V E N L Y A S C E N T
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YOU MAY perhaps know that many of the sages hold thatwhen a man is worthy and blessed with certain qualitiesand he wishes to gaze at the heavenly chariot and the
halls of the angels on high, he must follow certain exercises.He must fast for a specified number of days, he must place his
head between his knees, whispering softly to himself the whilecertain praises of God with his face towards the ground. As aresult he will gaze in the innermost recesses of his heart and itwill seem as if he saw the seven halls with his own eyes,moving from hall to hall to observe that which is therein to befound.
HAI GAON
MAKE YOURSELF right. Meditate in a special place whereyour voice cannot be heard by others. Cleanse yourheart and soul of all other thoughts in the world.
Imagine that at this time your soul is separating itself fromyour body, and that you are leaving the physical world behindso that you enter the future world that is the source of all life.
ABRAHAM ABULAFIA
76
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HEN ONE is on a higher level, he can enter. He is
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Wbrought in and led to the heavenly chambers wherehe is permitted to stand before the Throne of Glory.
He then knows what will happen in the future, who will beraised up, who will be lowered, who will be made strong, whowill be cut off, who will be made poor, who will be made rich,who will die, who will live, who will have his inheritance taken
away from him, who will have it given to him, who will beinvested with the Torah and who will be given wisdom.
Hekhalot Rabbati
W
HEN ONE is on a higher level, all humanity standsbefore him like silver before a refiner who candistinguish which silver is pure and which is
adulterated.
Hekhalot Rabbati
AN INDIVIDUAL thus ascends with the power of hisconcentration from one thing to the next, until hereaches the Ayn Sof[Infinite].
The Gate of Kavanah
78 The Mystic Way
F ONE is pure and upright in deed, and if he grasps the cords
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Iof love existing in the holy roots of his soul, he will be ableto ascend to every level in all the supernal universes.
MOSES CORDOVERO
T
HE TRUE path is straight, depending on an individuals
concentration. He must know how to concentrate on itstruth with attachment of thought and desire derivedfrom its unfathomable power. According to the strength of hisconcentration, he will then transmit power through his desire,desire through his knowledge, imagination through histhoughts, strength through his effort, and fortitude through hiscontemplation. When there is no other thought or desireintermingled with his concentration it can become so strongthat it can transmit an influence from the Ayn Sof[Infinite]
An individual thus ascends with the strength of hisconcentration from one thing to the next, until he reaches the
Ayn Sof.
AZRIEL OF GERONA
Heavenly Ascent 79
HE DISTANCE from the earth to the firmament is a journey
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Tof 500 years Above them are hayyot [the livingcreatures]. The feet of the holy are equal to all of them
together. The ankles of the holy are equal to all of them. Thelegs of the holy are equal to all of them. The knees of the holyare equal to all of them. The thighs of the holy are equal to allof them. The bodies of the holy are equal to all of them. Thenecks of the holy are equal to all of them. The heads of theholy are equal to all of them. The horns of the holy are equalto all of them. Above them is the Throne of Glory. The feet ofthe Throne are equal to all of them. The Throne of Glory isequal to all of them. The King, the living and eternal God, highand exalted dwells above them.
Talmud
HE WHO goes down looks with a wondrous proudness anda strange powerfulness, with the proudness ofexultation and the powerfulness of exultation and the
powerfulness of radiance, for these two emotions are stirredup before the Throne of His Glory.
Pirkei Hekhalot
80 The Mystic Way
HE HORSES upon which they ride stand beside mangers of
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Tfire, full of coals of juniper, and they eat fiery coals fromthe mangers, taking a measure of forty bushels of coals
in one mouthful.
Pirkei Hekhalot
WHEN ONE is on a higher level, he can see all the secretdeeds of man. He knows and recognizes the adulterer,the murderer, and the one who is only suspected of
these things. All this he knows and recognizes.
Hekhalot Rabbati
Heavenly Ascent 81
G O D S N A M E S
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FIRST BEGIN by combining the letters of the name YHVH.Gaze at all its combinations. Elevate it. Turn it over likea wheel that goes round and round, backwards and
forwards like a scroll Now begin to combine a few of manyletters, to permute and to combine them until your heart iswarm. Then be mindful of their movements and of that youcan bring forth by moving them. And when you feel that yourheart is already warm and when you see that by combinationsof letters you can grasp new things, which by human traditionor by yourself you would not be able to know, and when youare thus prepared to receive the influx of divine power whichflows into you, then turn all true thoughts to imagine Hisexalted angels in your heart as if they were human beingssitting or standing about you.
ABRAHAM ABULAFIA
82
OU SHOULD constantly keep the letters of the unique
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Yname in your mind as if they were in front of you,written in a book with the Torah script. Each letter
should appear infinitely large. When you depict the letters ofthe unique name in this fashion, your minds eye should gazeon them, and simultaneously your heart should be directedtoward the Infinite Being. Your gazing and thought should beas one.
ISAAC OF ACCO
YOU HAVE asked me, my brother, beloved of my soul, toenlighten you regarding the path involving Gods namesso that through them you will gain what you wish and
reach what you desire if one wishes to attain what hedesires through the use of Gods names, he must first studythe Torah with all his might.
JOSEPH GIKATILLA
Gods Names 83
AN ILLUMINES the world with the light of the divineName, revealing it from its concealment, thus
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M, g ,
transforming darkness to light.
SHNEUR ZALMAN OF LIADY
Y
OU ARE taught that by comprehending the holy names intheir respective categories and the appellatives derivingfrom each, you will realize that everything hinges on His
great name, praised be He, and you will yearn to cleave toHim, and you will be in fear and awe of Him.
JOSEPH GIKATILLA
THERE WAS also a name of forty-two letters known amongthem. Every intelligent person knows that one word offorty-two letters is impossible. But it was a phrase of
several words which had together forty-two letters. There isno doubt that the words had such a meaning as to convey acorrect notion of the essence of God.
MOSES MAIMONIDES
84 The Mystic Way
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ANY BELIEVE that the forty-two letters are merely to bepronounced mechanically; that by the knowledge of
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Mthese, without any further interpretation, they can
attain to those exalted ends.
MOSES MAIMONIDES
WHENEVER YOU offer your prayers and whenever youstudy, have the intention of unifying a divine name inevery word and with every utterance of your lips.
BAAL SHEM TOV
WHEN A person contemplates the names, he will findthat the entire Torah and all the commandmentsdepend on them. If one knows the meaning of all
these names, he will understand the greatness of He whospoke and brought the universe into being.
JOSEPH GIKATALIA
86 The Mystic Way
A
PPRECIATE THAT whoever knows the name of God has thespirit of God, the holy spirit, within him.
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A ABRAHAM ABULAFIA
ONE CAN attach his thoughts to God, and when one doesso consistently, there is no question that he will beworthy of the World to Come, and Gods Name will be
with him constantly, both in this world and in the next.
ISAAC OF ACCO
N
EVER UTTER the names without concentration butsanctify them, know them, and reflect that they are theangels of all being and the angels of God sent to you in
order to raise you higher and higher and elevate you over allthe nations upon earth.
ABRAHAM ABULAFIA
Gods Names 87
W
E KNOW by a prophetic divine tradition of the Torahthat when the sage who is an adept combines thel f h d h h h h
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Wletters of the divine name one with the other, the
holy spirit flows upon him.
ABRAHAM ABULAFIA
THE NAME of forty-two letters can only be entrusted by usto a person who is modest and meek, in the midway oflife, not easily provoked to anger, temperate, and free
from vengeful feelings. Whoever understands it, is cautiouswith it, keeps it in purity, is loved above and is liked herebelow. He is revered by his fellows; he is heir to two worlds this world and the world to come.
Talmud
88 The Mystic Way
l k t th h l l tt i t th d li
A L P H A B E T
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WHEN YOU look at these holy letters in truth and relianceand when you combine them placing that which isat the beginning at the end and that which is in the
middle at the beginning and that which is at the end and soforth in like manner these letters will all roll backwards andfowards with many melodies.
ABRAHAM ABULAFIA
IHAVE EXPLAINED what you need to do this, and you lacknothing. Take the pen, parchment and ink, and write theletters, permuting them in such a manner as to denote
good. Depart from evil, do good, seek peace and pursue it.(Psalm 34:15)
ABRAHAM ABULAFIA
THE WAY of permutations is the closest way to truly know
God.
ABRAHAM ABULAFIA
89
M
ANIPULATE THE letters, and seek out other words havingthe same numerical value.
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M ABRAHAM ABULAFIA
90 The Mystic Way
YOU MUST include yourself in Gods unity which is the
U N I T Y
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YOU MUST include yourself in God s unity, which is theimperative existence. You cannot be worthy of this,however, unless you first nullify yourself.
NAHMAN OF BRATSLAV
HE BRINGS everything from potentiality into actuality, andHe varies His deeds, but there is no variety in Him.
Zohar
HE WISHED to make Himself known by His attributes, by
each attribute separately. So He let Himself be styled asthe God of pardon, the God of justice, the God
omnipotent, the God of hosts, and He who is. His object wasto make thus intelligible what are His qualities and how His
justice and His compassion extend over the world as well asover the works of men.
Zohar
91
H
E IS the beginning as well as the end of all stages; uponHim are stamped all the stages. But He can only becalled one in order to show that although He possesses
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Hcalled one, in order to show that although He possesses
many forms, he is nothing other than one.
Zohar
THE MAN who knows how to unify the holy name in thecorrect manner preserves the nation that is unique onearth.
Zohar
IF A MAN comes to unify the holy name and does not do so
sincerely and with concentration, but appears in order topromote blessing in the upper and lower worlds, his prayer
is rejected and they all proclaim evil against him.
Zohar
92 The Mystic Way
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O
NE MUST direct his heart and will in order to bringblessings above and below One who seeks to unitethe holy name but does not direct his heart, will and
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Othe holy name but does not direct his heart, will and
awe, in order to grace above and below with blessings, willhave his prayers thrown out and evil will be pronounced uponhim But for one who knows how to unite the Holy Nameproperly, the walls of darkness are split and the kingscountenance is revealed and seen by all. When this occurs,
everything above and below is blessed.
Zohar
T
HE PERSON who offers his prayer and unites the holy nameproperly draws the strand of mercy upon himself. He
looks up to the heavens and the light of enlightenment ofdivine knowledge shines down upon him and crowns him; allstand in awe of him.
Zohar
94 The Mystic Way
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W
HEN A person wishes to unify the blessed holy one andHis divine presence, he must banish all otherthoughts.
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Wg
Zohar
GOD IS like the oceanfor the waters of the ocean
cannot be grasped and have no shapeexcept when they are channelled into a vessel,such as the land,and taken on a shape;then we are able to measure them:the source, the waters of the ocean are one;
then a tributary comes forthand is channelled into a round basin the source is oneand the channel which comes from it is two.Next, a large vessel is formed,as if one dug a large basin
which becomes filled by the waters of the channel;this becomes three.
Zohar
96 The Mystic Way
T
HIS IS the mystery of the unification. The individual whois worthy of the World to Come must unify the name ofthe blessed holy one. He must unify the upper and lower
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Tlevels and limbs, uniting them all and bringing them all to thenecessary place, where the knot can be bound.Zohar
IN EVERY ritual action, let your effort be directed towarduniting the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shekhinah(Divine Presence) through all camps above and below.
Zohar
THE ANCIENTS statement about unity is an affirmation ofperfect oneness. Their statement obligates every personwho is perfect in his belief in Gods unity and every
person who is enlightened concerning unity to make threeexplicit negations, and they are the negations of corporeality,composition and change in God.
Sefer Maarekhet ha-Elohut
Unity 97
T
HE BASES of belief are the negations which ought to bemade in reference to God for the sake of the perfection
of His unity and the proper sequence in which one
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Tmakes these negations. Everyone following our religion oughtto believe that God is one and unique in absolute unity.Sefer Maarekhet ha-Elohut
GOD IS one, there is no boundary to His wisdom, nomeasure to His understanding, no limit to His power,and no end to His unity. He has no beginning and no
end. The shaper of all and the knower of all has neither frontnor back, height nor depth, for He has neither boundary norend in all that He has. The creator of the world has neither
limits nor limbs.
ELEAZAR BEN JUDAH OF WORMS
T
HE SPIRITUAL union is analogous to the physical unionbetween husband and wife.
MENAHEM MENDEL OF CHERNOBYL
98 The Mystic Way
ASAGE ONCE came to one of the meditators and asked thath b d h h h l d
A S C E T I C I S M
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Ahe be accepted into their society. The other replied, Myson, blessed are you to God. Your intentions are good.But tell me, have you attained stoicism? The sage said,Master, explain your words. The meditator said, If one manis praising you and another is insulting you, are the two equal
in your eyes or not? He replied, No, my master, I havepleasure from those who praise me, and pain from those whodegrade me. But I do not take revenge or bear a grudge. Theother said, Go in peace my son. You have not attainedstoicism. You have not reached a level where your soul doesnot feel the praise of one who honours you, nor the
degradation of one who insults you. You are not prepared foryour thoughts to bound on high, that you should come andmeditate.
ISAAC OF ACCO
AN INDIVIDUAL must not afflict himself with fasting lest hebecome dependent on others.
Sefer Hasidim
99
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A
PERSON WHOSE evil passion gains ascendency over himmay fast to humble his passion.
S f H idi
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A Sefer Hasidim
IT IS well known that God created in us a will different fromHis own in order to subject our will to His. In this He findssatisfaction. This would be impossible unless our will is
different from His. When we annihilate our existence, we areconnected with the hidden.
HAYYIM HAYKL OF AMDUR
THE SAGES who were worthy of such undertakings would
pray and purify themselves of all uncleanliness. Theywould fast, immerse in the mikvah [ritual bath] and
purify themselvs. Then they would make use of various namesand gaze into the chambers on high.
HANANEL BEN HUSHIEL
Asceticism 101
W
HEN A person fasts he must be careful not to showanger that day, for fasting makes a person irritable
and it is preferable for a person to be satisfied and atpeace with people and not quarrelsome than to indulge in
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Wpeace with people, and not quarrelsome, than to indulge infasts.Sefer Hasidim
HE SHOULD not concern himself with the affairs of thisworld but try in all matters to detach himself from thephysical.
BAAL SHEM TOV
APERSON SHOULD efface himself altogether, with totalabandon, both body and soul, to be ready forobliteration in sanctification of Gods name, praised be
He, both in this world and in the hereafter.
MENAHEM MENDEL OF VITEBSK
102 The Mystic Way
T
AKE CARE never to speak an unnecessary word, whetherby day or by night.
JOSEPH CARO
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T JOSEPH CARO
WHEN A person reaches the attribute of Nothingness, herealizes that he himself is nothing since God grantshim existence.
LEVI YITZHAK OF BERDICHEV
ONE OF the great recommendations for one who wishes toknow God is that he should be among those who areinsulted but do not insult.
ISAAC OF ACCO
IHAVE BEEN stoic, God is before me at all times (Psalm 16:8).This denotes a level of stocism with regard to all thatbefalls a person. Whether people insult Him or praise Him,
it should all be equal.
BAAL SHEM TOV
Asceticism 103
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H
E SHOULD see to it now he is yet alive so that he canattain this state, namely the stripping away of the
corporeality of this world from himself so that only thespiritual remains. Then he will become attached to the worlds
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Hspiritual remains. Then he will become attached to the worldson high and be saved from the evil inclination that causes himto sin.
KALONYMUS KALMAN EPSTEIN
YOU SHOULD also mortify your flesh so as to have the meritof seeing Elijah face to face while you are yet awake. Hewill speak to you mouth to mouth and will greet you,
since he will become your teacher in order to teach you allthe mysteries of the Torah.
JOSEPH CARO
Asceticism 105
IT SHOULD be of indifference to him if he be considered aperson of little knowledge or as one who is knowledgeable
C L E A V I N G T O G O D
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Ip w g w w gin the entire Torah. The means for attaining this iscleaving to God, for the preoccupation with cleaving to Godleaves one no time to think of such matters.
BAAL SHEM TOV
HIS THOUGHTS should cleave to the heavenly realm, and heshould not eat or drink to excess, nor seek pleasures.
BAAL SHEM TOV
AT TIMES a person may be engaged in conversation withpeople, and then he cannot study, but he should stillcultivate his attachment to God and focus his mind on
Gods unity.
BAAL SHEM TOV
106
M
AKE READY to direct the heart to God alone. Cleanse thebody and choose a lonely house where no one shall
hear your voice. Sit there in your closet and do notreveal your secret to any person. If you can, do it by day in
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My y p y , y ythe house, but it is best if you complete it during the night. Inthe hour when you prepare to speak with the Creator andwish Him to reveal His might to you, then be careful toabstract all thought from the vanities of the world.
ABRAHAM ABULAFIA
COMMIT YOUR works to the Lord and your plans will beestablished.
BAAL SHEM TOV
THIS IS the purpose for which we have come into the world,to become bound to Him, blessed be He, even if it beonly for a moment.
AARON ROTH
Cleaving to God 107
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W
HEN A person attaches himself to God, then all theworlds below him are united with God through him.
In this way a person who is endowed with vitalitythrough eating and wearing clothes includes in himself the
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Winanimate, vegetable, animal and rational life; they are allunited with God through him.
SHLOMO OF LUTSK
AMAN MUST cause his will and his soul to cleave to hisMaster and not appear before Him with a deceitful mind,since it is written, He that speaks falsehood shall not be
established before my eyes (Psalm 101:7).
Zohar
TRUST IN the Lord for ever, for the Lord is God, Rock ofworlds (Isa. 26:4). Trust in the Lord. All the worldsinhabitants need to strengthen themselves through the
Holy One, blessed be He, and to place their trust in Him.
Zohar
Cleaving to God 109
H
IS HEART should always be joyful, attached to God, nomatter what happens.
ISAAC OF ACCO
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HY
OU MUST respect God and be careful not to attach yourthoughts to Him when you are not in a clean place.
ISAAC OF ACCO
110 The Mystic Way
IT IS from below that the movement starts, and thereafter isall perfected. If the community of Israel failed to initiate
h l h O b ld l
C O S M I C R E P A I R
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Ithe impulse, the One above would also not move to go toher. It is thus the yearning from below which brings about thecompletion above.
Zohar
WHAT IS the meaning of elevating the sparks? When yousee something corporeal and do not find it to be evil,heaven forbid, you can worship the creator, may He
be blessed. For in this thing you can find love or awe or other
qualities by which you can elevate it.
LEVI ISAAC OF BERDICHEV
T
HE ACT of purification is attained through raising oneself,with the element of the divine that inheres in one,
toward the source of all, toward God.
MENAHEM MENDEL OF CHERNOBYL
111
I
HEARD A convincing argument said in the name of myteacher the Baal Shem Tov. It concerned the strange
thoughts which come to a man in the midst of his prayer.They come from the mystery of the broken vessels and the288 k hi h d t b l ifi d d Th
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I288 sparks which need to be clarified every day. They appearin order to be repaired and elevated. The strange thoughtwhich appears one day is different from that of another day.The Baal Shem Tov taught that one must pay close attention
to this matter. I learned from him how to repair the strangethroughts even if they are thoughts about women. One shouldelevate them and make them cleave to their source, the
sefirah [divine emanation] Hesed [Mercy].
JACOB JOSEPH OF POLONNOYE
APERSON MUST purify himself, to remove from himself hisfilth so that his grossness will not impede him fromseeing the brightness of the Torah.
MENAHEM MENDEL OF CHERNOBYL
112 The Mystic Way
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MAN IS endowed with a divine soul which distinguisheshim from creatures below him, but he must notdeceive himself that he actually possesses this
S O U L
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Mdeceive himself that he actually possesses thisdistinction.
JUDAH LOEW OF PRAGUE
ITHINK THAT God alone gives men pure good health which is
not preceded by any disease in the body; but that healthwhich is an escape from disease He gives through the
medium of skill and medical science. It is attributed to scienceand whoever can apply it skilfully, even though in truth it is
God Himself who heals both by these means and withoutthese means. The same is the case with regard to the soul the good things, namely, food, He gives to men by His poweralone, but those which contain in them a deliverance from evilHe gives by means of His angels and His word.
PHILO OF ALEXANDRIA
114
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T
HE SOUL descended from its glorious abode and becamerobed in the physical, so that no matter what noble
spiritual perceptions she reaches, once robed in thephysical, these perceptions are all subject to the limitations oftime and space
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Ttime and space.SHNEUR ZALMAN OF LIADY
EACH ONE suffers according to the state of his soul and thelevel of his service to God.
NAHMAN OF BRATSLAV
T
HERE IS a field, where trees and plants of indescribable
beauty grow. Fortunate is the eye that has seen this. Thetrees and plants these are holy souls in a state of
ascending.
NAHMAN OF BRATSLAV
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W
HEN, OUT of great darkness of soul and blockage anddistress, the Holy One, blessed be He, brings
illumination to man, he then begins to long for God,blessed be He.
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WAARON ROTH
I
T FOLLOWS that in proportion to the degree of engagement
by a person in this world, so is the flow of divine grace tohis soul.
AARON ROTH
A
S LONG as the holy soul cleaves to a man, he is beloved
by his master. Many guardians protect him on all sides.He is noted for good both above and below, and the holy
Shekhinah [divine presence] dwells with him. But when heperverts his ways, the Shekhinah leaves him, and the holysoul no longer cleaves to him.
Zohar
118 The Mystic Way
W
HEN A persons soul yearns to serve the Creator andwhen the Lord of the Manor observes his longing, that
person can be spiritually elevated.
AARON ROTH
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W
T
HE DIVINE influx will begin to prevail in you, and willweaken your external and internal organs. Your entire
body will begin to tremble, until you think that you areabout to die. This is because your soul is separating itself fromyour body as a result of the great joy that you experiencewhen you perceive and recognize these things.
ABRAHAM ABULAFIA
THERE IS no question that if a person is a saint, and isperfect in all his deeds, then his soul will ascend on higheach night.
HAYYIM VITAL
Soul 119
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T
HEN HE is to perfect his life by performing positivecommandments and by directing his prayers towards
their highest purpose; by zealously studying the Torahfor its own sake as an ox bows its head to the yoke until hisstrength is sapped; by confining himself to few pleasures,
d d k l l b d h l l
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eating and drinking little; by rising at midnight or a littleearlier; by turning away from all unbecoming traits; and bywithdrawing from people, even from idle conversation.
HAYYIM VITAL
THEY OCCUPY themselves deeply in the study of the Torahor in prayer with such great, burning enthusiasm thatthey experience the fragrance and sweetness of God.
KALONYMOUS KALMAN EPSTEIN
LUST CAN take the form of inspiring a person avidly tostudy the Torah and to serve God, and with like avidityto pursue all the commandments.
MENAHEM MENDEL OF CHERNOBYL
122 The Mystic Way
T
HE CREATOR opened for us three gates for the knowledgeof his Torah and his law: the first is the sound mind; the
second is the text of Torah revealed to his prophetMoses; and the third is the traditions we have received fromearly masters which were transmitted to them by the
h
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prophets.
BAHYA IBN PAKUDA
THE KABBALAH that eludes most rabbis who concentrate ontalmudic study is generally divided into two parts. Thefirst deals with knowing God through the method of the
ten sefirot [divine emanations] called plants, so that whoevereffects disunity among the sefirot is guilty of cutting down the
plants it is the sefirot that manifest the secret of divineunity. The other part involves knowing God through themethod of the twenty-two letters of the alphabet These twomethods are not perceived through the senses, nor known asaxioms, nor are they part of commonly accepted knowledge.
ABRAHAM ABULAFIA
Study 123
B
LESSED ARE those who study the Torah in order to knowthe wisdom of their master, and who know and
understand the supernal mysteries, for when a manleaves the world in this way, all punishments in the world areremoved from him.
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Zohar
THE BOUNDARY of truth and the tradition of the covenant isthis. If one wishes to attain what he desires through theuse of Gods names, he must first study the Torah with
all his might, so that he can grasp the meaning of every one ofGods names mentioned in the Torah.
JOSEPH GIKATILLA
124 The Mystic Way
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WHEN YOU pray, recite your prayers to the tune of amelody that is pleasant and agreeable to you andthen you will pray with devotion and your heart will
be drawn after the utterance of your lips.
P R A Y E R
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w y p
Sefer Hasidim
MAN, IN SO far as he is a physical being, is not one withGod. Therefore, when he comes before God in prayer,he must shed all bodily attributes, as though he is
wholly spiritual.
JUDAH LOEW OF PRAGUE
SO PRAYER is made up of both action and speech; when theaction is faulty, speech does not find a spot to rest in.Such prayer is not prayer, and the man offering it is
defective in the upper world and the lower.
Zohar
129
T
HE FIRST method is that on that particular day, theindividual should have perfect intention in his prayers
such an individual can certainly have his soul rise atnight, ascending to Gods mountain, His holy place.
HAYYIM VITAL
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W
HENEVER YOU offer prayers and whenever you study,
have the intention of unifying a divine name in everyword and with every utterance of your lips, for there
are worlds, souls and divinity in every letter.
BAAL SHEM TOV
ONCE HE has ministered to the sages, studied Torah andoffered up many supplications, he will be worthy ofoffering pure prayer. Then illumination will come to
him from on high in order that he will truly be able to makepetitions with a stripping away of corporeality.
KALONYMUS KALMAN EPSTEIN
130 The Mystic Way
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E
VERYTHING IN the world depends on the repentance andprayer that a man offers to the Holy One, blessed be He.
And this is even more true if a man weeps while heprays, for there is no gate that those tears cannot penetrate.
Zohar
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A
MAN WHO is praying should make himself poor, so that his
prayer may enter with the generality of the poor, for allthe gatekeepers allow the poor to enter far more easilythan anyone else, for they enter even without askingpermission. And if a man makes himself poor and adopts theapproach of a poor man, his prayer ascends and meets theprayers of the poor, and joins them and ascends with them,
and it enters as one of them and is received willingly by theholy king.
Zohar
D
O NOT worry about anything in the world, other than
that which will influence your worship of God.
JOSEPH CARO
132 The Mystic Way
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O
NE MUST seek out a true leader and draw close to him,for every true leader partakes of the spirit of prophecy.
NAHMAN OF BRATSLAV
THE TRUE zaddik [spiritual master] proceeds in his prayersthrough all the upper worlds until he reaches the
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Tthrough all the upper worlds until he reaches theSupernal Intelligences, and from there he proceeds untilhe reaches Ayn Sof.
KALONYMUS KALMAN EPSTEIN
THE WAY of the zaddikim [spiritual masters] who walk inthe way of the Lord is well known. They occupy
themselves mightily in the study of the Torah or inprayer with such great burning enthusiasm, as theyexperience the fragrance and sweetness of God, blessed be He,that it would take but little for them to become annihilatedout of existence in their great longing to become attached toGods divinity, as they ascend from heavenly hall to heavenlyhall and from spiritual world to spiritual world.
KALONYMUS KALMAN EPSTEIN
Spiritual Master 137
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MY MASTER also said that it is good for a person to live ina house with windows open to the heavens so that hecan always lift his eyes to the heavens and gaze at
them.
M E D I T A T I O N
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HAYYIM VITAL
HE SHOULD isolate himself for periods of time andcontemplate the fear of God.
HAYYIM VITAL
WHEN YOU
meditate and express your spontaneousthoughts before God, you can be worthy of nullifyingall desires and all evil traits.
NAHMAN OF BRATSLAV
139
YOU MUST therefore be alone, at night, on an isolated path,where people are not usually found. Go there and
meditate, cleansing your heart and mind of all worldyaffairs.
NAHMAN OF BRATSLAV
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T
HE MAIN time to meditate is at night. This is a time when
the world is free from mundane concerns.
NAHMAN OF BRATSLAV
MAKE YOURSELF ready to meet your God, O Israel. Getready to turn your heart to God alone, cleanse your
body, and choose a special place where none will hearyou, and remain altogether by yourself in isolation.
ABRAHAM ABULAFIA
B
E ALONE one hour each day, to take stock of yourself.
MORDECAI OF CHERYNOBL
140 The Mystic Way
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PREPARE YOUR innner thoughts to depict God and Hishighest angels. Depict them in your heart as if they were
human beings, sitting or standing around you. You are intheir midst, like a messenger whom the King and his servantswish to send on a mission. You are ready to hear the words ofthe message, whether it is from the King or from one of Hisservants, from His mouth, or from the mouth of any one ofh
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them.
ABRAHAM ABULAFIA
THE TRUE path is straight, depending on the concentrationof the individual. He must know how to concentrate onits truth with attachment of thought and desire, derived
from its unfathomable power.
The Gate of Kavanah
ONE WHO is worthy to reach the level of meditation haspeace in this life.
ISAAC OF ACCO
Meditation 145
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LET A
man always be subtle in the fear of God. Thismeans that a person should reflect on the subtletiesand the glories of the world: how, for example, a mortal
king commands his soldiers to engage in battle. Even thoughthey know they may be killed, they are afraid of him and obeyhi th gh th k th t th f f hi i t
F E AR O F G O D
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him even though they know that the fear of him is noteverlasting, because he will eventually die and perish and theycan escape to another country. How much more so, therefore,should men fear the King of the King of Kings, the Holy One,blessed be He, and walk in His ways, since He is everywhereand gazes at the wicked as well as the good.
ELEAZAR BEN JUDAH OF WORMS
THE FEAR of God is not of punishment in the hereafter; it isnot motivated by a desire for benefits in this world or thenext, but it is a fear lest one not be wholly devoted to the
love of the Creator, praised be He.
Sefer Hasidim
147
THE BASIS of hasidic piety is the fear of God, which isshown when a person lusts for some pleasure and he
ignores his temptation out of the fear of God.
Sefer Hasidim
THE ROOT of the fear of the Lord is when a man desiressomething yet he gives up the pleasure for which his evil
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Tsomething yet he gives up the pleasure for which his evilinclination craves because he fears the Lord.ELEAZAR BEN JUDAH OF WORMS
ONE IN whose heart there is the fear of God will certainlyconsider not to lose a permanent world that lasts forever because of a world that passes away. He will
certainly be ready to suffer torture and death for an hour inthis lowly and despicable world and acquire thereby the worldon high, which endures for ever and ever.
ALEXANDERSUSSKIND
148 The Mystic Way
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LOVING HIM means that the love of God be so firmly fixedin a persons heart that it ever inspires him to pleaseHim.
MOSES HAYYIM LUZZATTO
L O V E O F G O D
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LET HIM kiss me with the kisses of his mouth (Songs ofSongs 1:2). What did King Solomon mean byintroducing words of love between the upper world and
the lower world, and by beginning the praise of love, which hehas introduced between them, with let him kiss me? Theyhave already given an explanation for this, and it is thatinseparable love of spirit for spirit can be expressed only by akiss, and a kiss is with the mouth, for that is the source andoutlet of the spirit. And when they kiss one another, thespirits cling to each other, and they are one, and then love isone.
Zohar
150
ALOVER WHO is not jealous his love is not love. When hebecomes jealous, his love is complete. Hence we learnthat a man needs to be jealous of his wife, so that he
may bind himself to her in perfect love, for as a result he willnot glance at another woman.
Zohar
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THE ROOT of love is to love the Lord.
ELEAZAR BEN JUDAH OF WORMS
HAVE NO other thought in your mind than your love.
BAAL SHEM TOV
HOW DOES the Holy One, blessed be He, reprovesomeone? He reproves him with love, in secret.
Zohar
Love of God 151
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KING OF the kings, God of Gods, and Lord of Lords,Who is surrounded with chains of crowns,Who is encompassed by the cluster of the rulers of
radiance,Who covers the heavens with the wing of His
magnificence,And in His majesty appeared from the heights,And from His stature the heavens are sparked.H d h l f
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His stature sends out the lofty,And His crown blazes out the mighty,And His garment flows with the precious.And all trees shall rejoice in His word,And herbs shall exult in His rejoicing,And His words shall drop as perfumes,Flowing forth in flames of fire,
Giving joy to those who search them,And quiet to those who fulfil them.
Pirkei Hekhalot
Glory 157
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PROPHECY IS a mode of the intellect. It is the expression ofthe love of the Lord our God,
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